Welcome dear Pines
by BananaFlannel
Summary: Stan needs a new attraction for the Mystery Shack, so, naturally the pines go on a road trip. Their destination? A friendly desert community where the sun is hot, the moon is beautiful, and mysterious lights pass overhead where we all pretend to sleep. What about Night Vale makes even Bill Cipher wary? Dipper is determined to find out.
1. Chapter 1

_HI Guys I saw this idea on Reddit and I thought It was pretty cool - So here it is I hope you like it! Please tell me if you do so I can continue with this story. Also the characters may be a little OOC (cause i'm kinda crap at writing cannon characters I know I'm trash D:) Anyway overall I think it's cool so please let me know if you like it! Also I don't own Gravity Falls or Welcome to Night Vale They both belong to their respective creators._

"You know I really hate closing the shack" Grunkle Stan confessed to his niece and nephew, shoving another bag into his car "But if I wanna keep those teen punks from harassing my customers I'm gonna need something big to break them out of their pretentiousness." He grumbled, eyeing two of Wendy's friends leaning up against the totem pole in the yard. A group of pasty legged tourists shied away from them.

"Look at that they're wearing all black!"

"What delinquency are they planning!?"

They squawked anxiously at the two hoodlums. The teens on the other hand just leaned against the pole, one of them loudly chewing gum, and the other shook their hair into their eyes and put on some music.

The crowd gasped.

"What did I say earlier- the standing around and annoying me fee is 20 bucks!" Grunkle Stan yelled at the two.

"Why don't you shut up Grandpa?" one of them retorted

"Wear another color, punk! And get off my lawn!" Grunkle Stan shot back.

"Yeah, Black washes you out- you look like a ghost!" Mabel called from her seat in the car.

"Mabel-" Dipper demurred, But Grunkle Stan interrupted : "Yeah, a ghost haunting my business, now get lost before I exorsise ya!"

"Heyo!" Mabel jeered, shooting finger guns at her Grunkle.

The teenagers hissed a groan under their breath before getting in their van and driving off. Dipper sunk down in his seat as they did, making sure they couldn't see him as they drove past. "Grunkle Stan where could we possibly be going to get this big thing?" Dipper questioned from his slouched position. "There are supernatural phonomena every where in Gravity Falls! You should have asked me to bring in something big-I could bring in anything from elves to tween wolf!"

"Again with this?" Stan scoffed "Look Dipper, can you stop with the paranormal nonsense? I'm looking for novelty not crazy kidspiracies." He slammed the back shut and jumped in the front.

"But-" Dipper started to protest but was yet again interrupted- this time by his sister.

"Monster, shmonster I'm ready to road trip it up! C'mon bro bro lets just have fun! When we get back I'll go troll hunting with you!" Mable insisted, elbowing her twin, he rolled his eyes with a small smile "Fine." He conceded.

"But where are we going Grunkle Stan?" Mabel inquired loudly. Stan reached for a piece of paper in the seat beside him, the car swerving a bit. He squinted to read the address before replying: "Some desert town called Night Vale." he clicked his tongue, "It sounds like a dump."

"Wait- desert ?" Dipper piped up "Grunkle Stan where exactly is this town?"

"Uh the desert?"

Dipper shook his head "No, I mean what state?"

Stan shrugged "A dry one- ugh I am gonna get a bad tan line."

"Good thing I brought the sun block!" Mable shrilled, a bottle of sunscreen in her fist "And it smells like cotton candy- here Dipper- smell!" She shouts, popping open the bottle and practically shoving it up his nose, he yelped in surprise and pushed her away, Mabel only laughed in return.

Dipper reached over the passenger seat to grab the map, but what he saw printed on the paper was no map he could make sense of, it was definately not a map of America that was for sure. "What is this?" he muttered under his breath.

"Whatcha lookin' at bro-woah!" Mable exclaimed over Dipper's shoulder, their eyes scanned over the black, almost purple ink that seemed to slither across the leathery page, intricate- almost mandala like designs rolled around over roads and through farms. and right smack in the middle of the creased paper was a town that dully glowed- Night Vale.

"Grunkle Stan have you seen this?" Dipper cried.

"What that map? Yeah I was the one who got Soos pick it up for me- so what?" Stan questioned

"No, But-" Dipper began as his eyes strayed back to the map where upon a second inspection looked perfectly ordinary. "Huh?" He looked back up towards his Sister and Stan who payed him no mind, instead they were busy playing spot the muffin, which Dipper always had to remind them that those "Muffins" were actually explosions tagged by Robby. He sighed and turned to look out the window, at the trees whipping by, and at "Now leaving Gravity Falls" sign.

Suddenly the world around him went black and white and the scenery slowed expodentially until it finally froze.

"Howdy Pine Tree!" A high pitched voice greeted. "You leaving so soon? Summer can't be over yet am I right?"

"Bill! What are you doing here?" Dipper shouted "What do you want?" Bill Cipher twirled his little cane nonchalantly and shrugged his shoulders "Sheesh Kid calm down will ya? I haven't even done anything yet!" he chuckled, floating behind Dipper. "So uh where you guys headed to? Can't be too far with the whole meddling mystery twins thing you guys got going on."

"I don't think that's any of your business." Dipper pointed out, eyes flitting from the map back to the entity. "C'mon Pine Tree throw me a bone I'm just curious."

"Well... okay...we're heading towards this town called Night Vale and-"

"Night Vale?" Bill Cipher muttered

"Yeah, but it's weird- This map doesn't make any sense, it's like some weird talisman or-" Dipper looked up to find the world was moving again and he could hear the off key duet of his sister and Stan. "-Something." he mumbled under his breath. He looked down at the map in his hands again. There was definately something weird about this town, maybe even something sinister to scare Bill away, an uneasy feeling grew in the pit of his stomach.

"Dipper it's your song!" Mabel chided, elbowing him in the side as "Disco Girl" came on the radio, laughing loudly in his ear.

"C'mon, Guys." Dipper grinned, half-heartedly elbowing Mabel back.

"You C'mon Disco girl!" Mabel chuckled. Dipper rolled his eyes. "Take the solo dipping sauce!"

"No" Dipper replied flat out.

"Do it" She insisted "Come on Dipper, do it!"

"Do it! Do it! Do it!" chanted both Stan and Mabel.

Dipper shrugged, well if she and Grunkle Stan could sing along terribly so could he, so he belted out the chorus

After Dipper's somewhat subpar rendition of the song they sat in silence for a moment before they burst out in laughter

"Ah," Stan wiped away a tear "That's good family ridicule."

"Psh Whatever, I've said it before- I don't have to defend Disco Girl, it's in the top 100 for a reason." Dipper remarked.

"Yeah bro we got it." Mabel giggled.

When Their laughs died down Dipper returned his gaze back to the window, his smile faltered, a frown pulled at his lips.

'What is it about Night Vale that made Bill Cipher dissapear?' he pondered 'It can't be more weird than Gravity falls- can it? I mean Gravity Falls is the weirdest town I've ever seen, so weird that the author of the journals wrote about it and kept it hidden.'

'Could there really be a town more unusual and secretive?'

Miles away from the car full of the Pines a radio host sits down at his desk. The room is dark and cool, the air is crisp and fragrant, the equiptment is old but well maintaned. He turns on his microphone and puts on his headphones, the neon sign in the window that reads "On Air" flickers a deep violet. He clears his throat and begins his broadcast:

"Everything you know or ever will know is sand, sand that slowly slips through your hands, out of your hands and to the endless void. There is a breeze that wafts over you that vaguely smells of peppermint and motor oil. This is where we call our beginnings and our endings. Welcome to Night Vale."


	2. Chapter 2

**_Hey guys I'm back! I know this is a little late, but what with school starting up again I've been busy. Anyway, this story is just so fun to write I just can't wait to share it with you! Maybe with Halloween coming up in a month I'm thinking of a Halloween themed chapter-no promises but I'd really like to! I hope you all enjoy, and I'd love to have some feedback, it would really mean so much, just one review can make my day honestly! Again, I do not own Gravity Falls or Welcome to Night Vale, they belong to their respective creators! Okay, okay I'm not gonna keep you too long- so without further ado, here's chapter two!_**

The local radio host who is neither short nor tall sits at his desk, stacks of papers and diagrams of miscellaneous animals clutter the desktop. Boxes of glass spheres are piled beside him, the word "perishables" scrawled on the side in angry black marker. It was a routine Monday morning for Cecil Gershwin Palmer. His coffee was warm in his hand, steam rose from the cup and hung in the air like a fog, overbearing and humid, filling him with thoughts of past mistakes. he sighed, this is why he didn't drink decaf, but today that is what his intern Roland brought him.

He groaned in irritation "Still-" he murmured into the cup "It is coffee." he took a sip and enjoyed its warmth.

"Oh!" Cecil exclaimed, his eyes blinking in mild surprise when a scene manifested before him, an old car on a lonely desert road that stretched into the visible horizon, inside was the jovial laughter and playful jeers of three people- an old man with a fez, and two children in the back, one with an impish grin full of metal, the other with a goofy smirk- all of them looked very happy.

He raised a brow as he gazed upon the group, he'd never seen them before. He had no recollection of ever seeing anyone like them. Who were these mysterious people?

Trespassers perhaps?

No, perhaps not, he couldn't feel their presences in Night Vale.

"Hmmn" he grunted in befuddlement "I wonder-"

"Cecil" Roland's voice interrupted. Cecil blinked and the family, the car, and the desolate road vanished from his sight. "I finished editing your slash fic- it took awhile and I had to cut a lot but I finally managed to get it down to five pages." Roland continued, handing him the packet.

"Oh, thank you Roland." He nodded, taking the story and setting it aside for later.

"It's almost time to go on air now, so if you'd just...scoot please." Cecil shooed the intern back to the booth, the brunette shuffled back behind the glass and settled into his swivel chair. Cecil set into his routine of turning on his microphone, putting on his headphones and waiting for the "On air" light to blink on.

"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, three in your hair, ten in your car, nineteen in your home- and so the nursery rhyme goes...Welcome to Night Vale." Cecil began.

"This just in listeners, interlopers have been spotted on the outskirts of town. They're riding in an old car on a desolate road just outside our little burg. They come in a group, an old man and two children, their laughter seeps from the car and evaporates into the dry, suffocating desert heat. What do these outsiders want? Why are they here- and what's with their unfashionable haircuts? We'll have to keep our guard up, Night Vale. More on that story as it develops. "

Meanwhile, on a dusty, lonely road the Pines family winds down from one of Stan's off handed jokes.

"Good one Grunkle Stan." Mabel chuckled.

"Well I am a comedy God ." He boasted.

"I wouldn't say that." Dipper laughed. "But that was pretty funny."

"Hey Grunkle Stan- are we there yet?" Mabel asked, her face scrunched into the window, the glass was warm and the sand outside reflected the sun into her face. "I'm already roasting!" she complained.

"Well, we haven't hit a town yet so...no." Stan replied from up front.

"Ugh we've been driving forever, I can't feel my legs! You'll have to chop them off Dipper!" Mabel cried dramatically, plopping her feet into Dipper's lap. Dipper rolled his eyes and pushed her feet back onto the floor.

"Mabel no one's chopping any legs off." he sighed.

"Yeah- we'll save that for next vacation." Grunkle Stan butted in from up front. "Anyway, if this map is right we should be there in the next 20 miles."

"Grunkle Stan are you sure you didn't find anything weird about that map?" Dipper inquired.

"Dipper how many times do I have to say no? Come on kid give it a rest already, sheesh."

Dipper insisted: " Stan I really think that there's something weird about Night Vale!"

"-Uh yeah, that's why we're going- for weird attractions." Stan blurted.

"No, I mean something really weird- something dangerous even!"

Mable piped up " Why didn't you say anything before Dipper?"

"Look, Dipper, there's really nothing to worry about except for this heat." Stan sighed.

"But-"

"We're almost there anyway, we'll be fine, keep your hat on kid!"

Dipper gave up trying to convince his Grunkle again, so he pulled out his journal from his backpack and started flipping through the pages. A gargoyle on one page, a mermaid on another, a potion recipe, a charm. He thumbed through the book again until he came upon a couple of pages stuck together with glitter glue, he groaned- Mabel. He carefully pried them apart until they were free. On the last page was a familiar mandala design sketched into the stained pages with a dark ink. Dipper's eyes widened as he scanned the page. "In my travels I have only seen one town more unusual than Gravity falls, a little desert town called Night Vale. If you do encounter this strange city- my only advice is to run." nothing else was written on the paper. The author had been here? This only confirmed Dipper's suspicion that there was something ominous about this town!

"Look! We're here, see- Welcome to Night Vale!" Mabel Cried, pointing at a dark blue road sign as they passed. Dipper felt a sense of dread settling in his stomach, the atmosphere was thick with something that made Dipper feel uneasy. "Mabel- we shouldn't be here!" Dipper hissed, obviously frightened.

"Chill out bro bro we'll be fine- we're always fine. If you're scared I'll hold your hand, but if Stan says it's fine then it'll be fine right?" Mabel smiled.

"Mabel you don't understand-"

"Look you two, civilization- what did I tell ya?" Stan called.

"More on the mysterious visitors." Cecil Palmer continued in his broadcast "They've just entered the city limits, two of them are smiling, a big, metallic grin on one and a small, amused smirk on the other. The boy in the back seat is petrified- with fear? With anticipation? I couldn't tell you dear listeners." He takes a sip from his coffee.

" What I can tell you is that there is something unusual about these interlopers, it's odd to see such visitors in our community in the first place, but to see such a small group and with children no less is rather strange. I mean, the last visitors to our town was that-awful carnival." Cecil shuddered. "No children in sight, just like how it is in Night Vale."

"But, Perhaps we should give these interlopers a chance, now I'm not saying let's pull out the welcome wagon- it's under maintenance anyway- no, This time I believe that we should, y'know wait to run them out of town, or at least find out why they're here." He shrugged, taking another swig of coffee. "Although these people don't seem unsavory, I could be wrong- even though that so rarely happens, I am practically a scientist."

His eyes flit to the booth where Roland is trying to get his attention. "Pardon me listeners but Intern Roland in the booth is trying to get my attention- he is waving his arms erratically- Yes Roland, I see you, what is it?" Roland points to the door "He is trying to tell the there's something at the door. Uh, who is it Roland?" Roland furiously scribbles down something on a notepad, he slams the note to the window. Cecil gasps "Steve Carlesberg- No, Steve I've told you not to bother me while I'm at work! I don't want you going on about those conspiracies Steve!" He groans "And now listeners, I take you to the weather."

"It's so quiet." Mabel remarks

"Yeah, kinda creepy." Stan replies. "How about we put on some tunes huh?" He turns on the radio and an indie band plays, sounding like something that Wendy and her friends would listen to.

They pass by the Moonlite All-Nite diner, and inside they can vaguely make out figures in the frosted glass windows. On the right a big sign that reads: Lucinda's Pawn shop, oddities can be seen overflowing the shelves. So far nothing all that bizarre stood out to them, but Dipper still felt apprehensive about the whole situation.

'First Bill Cipher and now the Author of the journals?' Dipper pondered 'So far there hasn't been anything to cause panic, but, i dunno- I mean if both Bill and the Author are scared of this place doesn't it make it dangerous?' He furrowed his brows 'Maybe if we can just hurry up and find an attraction quickly we'll be fine? For that matter will that novelty attraction be just a novelty?' He looked between his sister and Stan.

'For once I hope so.'

Just outside the city limits was one particular entity. Bill Cipher gazed upon the lonely desert town with his one eye, not daring to move an inch.

"Sheesh," He muttered. "This place looks a little worse for wear."

He looks up at the radio tower that blinked mutely in the desert sun. "It's been a long time Night Vale- a long time."


	3. Chapter 3

**_Wow, Hey guys! It's-a me again! So sorry about the late update, and I missed Halloween again I'm sorry - I don't want to keep you guys with lame excuses, but here it is at last! Chapter three! I hope you all enjoy, and if you do please, please review! And as always: Welcome to Night Vale and Gravity Falls are not mine, they belong to their respective creators!_**

The motel room was dark and drafty and smelled of crisp leaves and pomegranate, Mabel was sprawled out on the scratchy comforter on one of the beds like a starfish.

"Mine!" she called, muffled by the comforter in her face, her bags dropped on the floor beside her.

"Mabel, you can't have a bed to yourself- where's Stan supposed to sleep?" Dipper questioned as he stepped in the door after his twin, he looked around uneasily, suspiciously, as if at any time something would attack him.

"What- you think I'm sleeping in a murder bed? She can have the bed, 'cause I'm sleepin' on this-"

Stan paused to flip over the cushions to pull out a mattress, his hands gesturing wildly,

"-Pull out couch!" he laughs dramatically, "Pretty nice huh?"

"Who-ho-hoa!" the twins gasped in sarcastic awe. Stan dropped his suitcase on the floor and sat down on the bed.

"Once everyone gets unpacked, I thought we could check out that diner we saw on our way into town for some pies- huh guys? Dipper- It looks like a cool wacky place you'd wanna go." Mabel chirped, jumping up on the bed. Dipper, who was crouched down under the bed was too busy searching for any unwelcomed creatures that he didn't answer. Mabel rolled over to the opposite side of the bed and poked her head underneath. "Whatcha looking for?" she asked, making her brother jump, hitting his own head on the bed frame.

"Nothing" Dipper lied, rubbing the top of his head with a scowl.

"Seriously Dipper?" Mabel laughed and Dipper looked away

"I still don't trust this place okay, I'm just…checking" he mumbled

Mabel huffed and made a face, her brows furrowed and she shook her head, He couldn't take a break from being Mr. spooky for one day.

"Well, hurry up so we can eat! I'm dying of hunger!" Mabel cried, sitting up on the bed.

"You just ate in the car!" Dipper retorts

"Dipper, Dipper, Dipper," Mabel tsks "That was my pre pie appetizer! Now it's time for all the whipped cream I can eat!" She whips her head around to her Grunkle "Right Grunkle Stan?"

Stan ties on his eye patch, looking up he nods "Oh yeah, It's pie time that I had some key lime- ha- 'pie time' did you get that," he laughed loudly "the-the 'pie time'?"

"Hooo- you got it Grunkle Stan- it even rhymed!" Mabel hollered in approval, the two chuckled together over the lame pun.

Underneath the bed, Dipper had nearly given up his search, just as he was scooting back from under the frame, he saw a flicker of something- of what, he couldn't be too sure, but it was dark and it fanned a cool, crisp breeze across his skin.

His brows furrowed and he crawled further under the bed, searching for the flickering source, now he was completely underneath the mattress. He sighed, he was now face to face with wall and wood moldings, nothing particularly spectacular, he reached out to touch it, his fingers gliding over the bubbly wallpaper. There was a faint glow from a notch in the paper, a black almost violet glow, he tentatively reached out to tear the wallpaper. He slowly tore it back until he could clearly read: "Trust no one"

At that he gasped, a hand clamped over his mouth to stifle his surprise. Was this left here by the author? What are the odds that The Author stayed in this exact room? Did he leave this here for someone like him to find? Above the warning there was a symbol etched into the wall, one that looked like- an eye? He leaned for a closer look- he then felt like he was being pulled into the wall, forcing a yelp from him as he tried to pry away from invisible hands. He was still forced forward, he braced for impact but there was nothing for his head to impact. He screwed open his eyes and found that he was now face to face with a man he had never met before.

He was unlike anyone he had ever seen, and he couldn't decide if that was a good or bad thing. He was in a dim room, the air was chilled and smelled of something he couldn't quite place but was aromatic all the same. The room was filled with broadcasting equipment- a radio station- Dipper deduced if the music in the air was any indication. The man was wearing headphones and was focused on a cup of what Dipper supposed was coffee, seemingly too preoccupied to notice him. The man looked up from his cup to flip a switch of the switchboard in front of him, and the music faded out. He leaned into the microphone in front of him.

"Welcome back dear listeners…" came his voice smooth as honey, and as rich as chocolate "…It seems that we have a visitor in our studio." His gaze slid over to Dipper, who was now in a chair across from the host. He jumped in his seat, his eyes now wide and flickering around the room, from here he could now see a window, and a young man sitting behind it at a desk.

"He is one of the interlopers that I reported about earlier in the show, the boy with the pine tree hat." The host continued, "He came in to answer some questions about just what he is doing here." He held the microphone in his hand as he spoke "So, we'll start off with an easy question, what's your name- or the noise that you are referred to as?" the host's voice rolled coolly off his tongue.

Dipper swallowed a lump in his throat as the man held the microphone towards him. "People call me Dipper." He replied against his will, his own voice cracking. "You know- like the little Dipper, the constellation?" He rambled.

The man raised a brow "What brings you here to our pleasant little town, why are you here in Night Vale Dipper?" He asked, Dipper's nickname falling off his tongue awkwardly.

"My- My great uncle wanted to come here to buy an exhibit for his mystery shack. It's like this tourist trap he lives in, people pay to come see his 'weird' attractions." Dipper explained, feeling strangely more at ease in this dark room.

"What oddities could you possibly find here in Night Vale?" The host asked, a tad defensively. "If your uncle wants weird and strange he should have gone to Desert Bluffs." The host rolled his eyes "Ugh, such a terrible name." He leaned back in his chair, the microphone on his desk pointed towards Dipper.

"I've never heard of Desert Bluffs" Dipper began "but I think this town is strange- no offense, I just get such a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach here."

"Oh, that's nothing to worry about, the side effects of government brain wave monitoring often include nausea." The host commented off-handedly. "But I guess to a tourist it would be more exciting."

"Government what?!" Dipper exclaimed.

"Oh, It looks like we have a caller on the line, someone curious about this visitor perhaps? I guess we'll see, I didn't know we were taking callers Roland," The man said pointedly "but now we have our first one, so, we shouldn't keep them waiting." The man pressed a button on the switchboard in front of him and leaned into the microphone. "Welcome Listener,"

"Yes, I have a question for Dipper-" A hoarse voice began, the Host's face scrunched up and his demeanor darkened. "-Are you or are you not a mole for the international govern-"

"Oh No Steve Carlesberg!" the host interrupted. "Steve Carlesberg I know it's you!"

"Uh, no it's not." The caller replied, clearing their throat loudly

"Yes it is, I know it is! I know your voice – do you think I'm stupid? How many times do I have to tell you to not bother me at work and harass my guests?! " The host asked in irritation.

"But Cecil, These interlopers could be spies for an international government – or a secret underground political power to invade Night Vale, not unlike that debacle with Strex!" Steve pleaded.

"Look Steve, if you want to interview a government spy, then go talk to one of those loiters in the park, I don't have time- or what we perceive as time to talk conspiracies with you." The host- Cecil rolled his eyes.

"I-I'm not a government spy." Dipper confirmed, "My sister, my Grunkle Stan, and I are just here visiting from this town Gravity Falls!"

As soon as the words came out of his mouth a bright white light flashed in the studio, and a loud noise was heard to censor Dipper's comment. Dipper jumped in his seat, Cecil on the other hand, didn't seem in the least bit bothered.

"Well Listeners, it looks like our interview with Dipper the gatecrasher is over, but it sure was informative- thank you Dipper." Cecil smiled gently.

Dipper opened his mouth to speak but found that he was back under the motel bed. "You're welcome?" he whispered, confusion still evident in his voice.

"Dipper! What are you still doing under there? C'mon, that pie isn't gonna wait forever!" Mabel called loudly.

Dipper tore his eyes away from the carving in the wall, and crawled out from underneath the bedframe. "I'm coming, I'm coming." He called back. "I thought I saw a cockroach," He lied as he patted down his clothes.

"You sure you weren't looking for a boogieman under there?" Stan jibed "Look it's okay- If a monster does live under there he's probably too small to attack you- well, too small to attack Mabel anyway." He chuckled.

"Come on Grunkle Stan, we shouldn't be **little** him!" Mabel jumped in

"Yeah, I think we all know how short tempered he can be!" Stan laughed

Dipper sighed in irritation "You guys!"

"Okay, okay, let's go get some pie, and a booster seat for Dipper-" Stan started, Picking up his keys

"Stan!" Dipper protested

"Okay I'm done, I'm done. Ha- That's good family ridicule." Stan grinned

As he played out the show, Cecil took off his headphones and gathered his things, he slipped on his neon pink cardigan and waited for Roland to switch off the "On Air" sign before exiting the studio. He checked his phone for any texts. He had just gotten one from Carlos,

"Hey Ceec, I hope you're hungry- I made pasta tonight with your favorite sauce.

I was hoping we could watch that documentary about isosceles triangles tonight –or we could play scrabble, I haven't found all the die but I think it should be fine since it'll be only two of us.

I'll see you at home,

I love you,"

Cecil Smiled, his cheeks flushing happily as he replied:

"That sounds perfect Carlos, I'm on my way home right now,

I can't wait to hear about what you did today,

I love you too."

Cecil then proceeded to clock out by chanting his allegiance to the studio executives through the mail slot in the door, the executives were unusually quiet during the process. As he finished, Cecil picked up his bag and started to walk out. He felt that something was off, something somewhat wrong, something almost ominous loomed over him. He stopped walking for a moment to digest these feelings- what could it have been making him feel such a sense of dread- like something was on the brink of destruction?

He swallowed a lump in his throat, he felt the weight of memories that he could not place nor could he remember- weighing on his shoulders, a heavy burden on his body and his mind, yet he still could not place the origin of these feelings.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Roland shuffling his papers together, he met Cecil's eyes and gave him an understanding look as he walked by.

"We've all been there buddy," he commented, patting Cecil on the shoulder. Cecil's brows scrunched together and his eyes narrowed,

"What are you talking about?" He asked and Roland's eyes widened

"I thought you were waiting for the bathroom- is that not what you're doing? He asked, gesturing to the men's room behind Cecil. "I mean I just thought- what with that look on your face I thought you must really need to go. I was trying to pal around- uh-"

Cecil gave him an odd look

"-Never mind," He chuckled awkwardly "I'll see you tomorrow!" he called as he turned to leave.

Cecil shook his head and started walking again, despite the dense sensation in his chest, he tried to take his mind off of long forgotten memories and mysterious outsiders. Tonight all he wanted to concern himself with was pasta and a long, dull documentary with Carlos.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello! Guess who? Oh boy another chapter? Yes indeed, It took forever that's for sure! But I hope you all like it- I love writing this for you all and I love to hear feedback, it's one of the main reasons I write this! Anyway here it is! Chapter 4!**

"This is weird… Dipper finally muttered

"Uh-huh." Grunkle Stan agreed

"I wanted a _real_ pie! Not some imaginary pie!" Mabel cried.

The trio looked down at their empty plates on the table.

"I mean- I don't know what I expected from invisible pie, but- yeah I don't know what I expected." Dipper shrugged, looking at the menu.

"What a rip off!" Grunkle Stan complained

"And you know rip offs" Dipper chimed in

"-Yeah I know!" Stan looked up to the waitress behind the counter and stood up.

"I'm gonna go give ol' Laverne a piece of my mind." He declared, shimmying out of the booth and making his way to the linoleum counter.

"Don't forget to get us a piece of pie!" Mabel cried, picking up her plate and waving her it in the air. Mabel felt the weight of something fall onto her lap, she looked down and saw nothing there. "What the hay?" she reached into her lap and curled her hand around something soft, something…Invisible. She looked up to her brother across the table. "Dipper," She started, but found that he was already taking the sugar shaker and pouring it over his seemingly empty plate, only to find that there was in fact a slice of pie there.

Both twins looked towards the counter where their Grunkle was in the midst of complaining about their absent desserts. It was then that the waitress opened her mouth as if to speak, but from what the twins could see her mouth was filled with rows of sharp teeth, and instead of replying, the waitress let out a low screech, her eyes were solid black and her skin turned gray.

"Oh that is freakish!" Grunkle Stan cried, "-Here" he shoved bright green Stan Bucks in her claws, he threw a smoke bomb on the ground and ran away, "Keep the change" He ran past the booth shouting "Run kids!" The twins would have looked at each other were it not for the thick smoke, instead they ran out of the diner and hopped in Stan's car.

"Oh man that was weird huh? I guess they don't have a complaint box-" He chuckled "Right kids?"

"What was up with that place?" Mabel chimed in. Dipper looked to his grunkle and leaned against his chair,

"You see grunkle Stan? I told you this place was bad news- look we got out of that freaky diner, but who's to say we don't get thralled by a vampire or become finger food for a Cyclops? Maybe we should forget about the attraction you know? You'd never to put to innocent children in dange- okay never mind, but I'm serious Stan- this place is dangerous!" Dipper cried, waving his hands emphatically.

"You know, I'm not one to acknowledge when someone is right." Stan started. There was a pause between them.

Dipper raised his eyebrows "Uh-"

"But, yeah this place is pretty strange, but hey- I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt, I'm not one to complain either" Stan continued.

Mabel giggled, shaking her head and Dipper scoffed.

"What? What's with the giggling?" Stan seemed offended, but only for a moment, he smiled and shrugged "Ah, I'm kidding- but seriously we're only staying two nights, I think we can tough it out till I can get a monkey-fish mutant thing, or a checker playing robot."

"Two days?"

Stan nodded "Two days and we're gone"

Mabel leaned against the passenger seat and nudged her brother "-Yeah, only two days Dipper and we can get back to fairy hunting!"

"I guess two days should be fine if we just stay away from invisible pie" He grinned.

"Invisible pie- not my favorite, not bad, but not my favorite." Mabel thought aloud, her chin in her hand.

"You actually had some? I thought you dropped yours?" Dipper wondered.

"I ate yours"

"Hey!" Dipper protested

"-What? You weren't gonna eat it!" Mabel defended as they drove back to the motel.

In a moderately sized apartment, Carlos was in the kitchen, fighting the flame goblin over the stove to keep his pasta from boiling over. He smacked the goblin's little claws away from the pot with a spoon as he looked over at Cecil sitting at the counter. "So what's wrong with those visitors? We get visitors in Night Vale all the time!" Carlos asked.

"Oh, Carlos, I don't blame you for being so in the dark about this." Cecil shook his head, "It's just that they're different, inexplicably different- like they have this darkness lurking around them- and not the normal darkness that envelops all of us collectively."

"Well they're not from Night Vale, you can't hold that against them Ceec," Carlos reasoned, shaking his head "-Well, you can, there's nothing I can do to stop you about that- but you shouldn't, is what I mean."

Cecil Sighed softly, resting his arms on the counter, He looked up at his boyfriend "I don't know, something just feels…wrong" His brows scrunched together "I just have this weird feeling in the pit of my stomach about this whole thing, I just…I don't know." He shook his head

Carlos's own eyes softened, he put a lid over the pasta and set down the spoon, the fire goblin scurried back underneath the pot. He walked around the counter and sat next to Cecil, He pulled him into a hug, resting his chin on Cecil's shoulder. "Look, I don't know what I can do- if I can do anything, but if you don't want to talk about this anymore we won't," he assured him. Cecil nodded, Carlos gave him a soft smile and leaned his forehead against Cecil's and he gave a small one in return. It was when they heard the pot boiling over that Carlos's eyes widened and he jumped up quickly, running over to the stove and shooing the fire goblin away.

Cecil chuckled at his boyfriend battling with the little goblin, his mind temporarily distracted. As Carlos got the goblin to slither his way back under the pot he looked back up at Cecil with a smile.

"Oh, Hey! Did I tell you about these electromagnetic anomalies I discovered today- of course at first we didn't think much of them, just a routine brain wave testing- but now, I don't know- but how exciting is that?" He laughed warmly "I'm so ecstatic, I mean it's amazing, just when I think Night Vale couldn't be any more interesting, something like this happens!" he clapped his hands together, he looked over at Cecil who was smiling blankly. Carlos's own smirk slowly fell from his face "I don't think I'm telling it right, you see, these electromagnetic phenomena mean-" His cheeks blushed "If this is boring you we can just watch the movie…"

Cecil smiled reassuringly "Oh, no I'm not bored- Carlos I don't think you could ever bore me."

Carlos's blush deepened in color, His smile brightened "Well, okay-" he began "But I'm going to have to start from the beginning."  
"Please go on!" Cecil encouraged

Carlos continued in his explanation as Cecil beamed adoringly, his uneasiness being alleviated by his boyfriend's passionate story, not totally unaware of the ancient evil that lurked near the outskirts of the town, of course he decided that it was none of his concern.

For now.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi guys! Whew! I did it! Another chapter! Sorry for all the exclamation, I just love how this story is going so far, and I love that you guys seem to like it too! I hope you guys can give me some feedback, or maybe just ask me some questions if you'd like, I love to hear from readers it honestly means the world to me, and I'm just so excited for you all to read this chapter so here we go! Oh, and like always Welcome to Night Vale and Gravity Falls belong to their respective creators!**

Cecil woke up like he always did, groggy, a little disoriented, and a little regretful, he was tangled in the warm bed sheets, as he sat up he stretched his arms over his head, his eyes wandered over to Carlos' side of the bed and found it empty, he heard sizzling from the kitchen as the scent of breakfast wafted into the room. He smiled sleepily, unwrapping his legs from the soft comforter. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and felt the coolness of the floor seep through his furry socks. He got out of bed and stretched again, his back cracking and a groan fluttering from his lips. For now he didn't bother fixing his appearance for the day, instead he made his way towards the kitchen, sleepy smile still on his mouth.

"I guess I'll make the coffee then," Cecil started from the hall leading to the kitchen.

"I'm starting to get the impression that you don't like my cooking very much." He playfully jeered. Usually he would get a reassuring coo from his boyfriend when he joked this way, or a sarcastic chuckle, but this morning all he heard was the sizzling of breakfast. As he neared the kitchen that feeling in the pit of his stomach settled, dribbling from his mind to his heart, a faint but steady dripping of unease.

He turned into the kitchen

"Carlos is everything oka-" He began, but saw a figure he hadn't seen in a long, long time.

To anyone else the scene might have been comical, a floating triangle with a neat little top hat, and little hands gripping a pan of eggs over the stove. But Cecil's breath caught in his throat upon seeing him.

"-Get out of my house." Cecil said slowly, his voice low. The entity turned around to face him, his one bright eye glaring at him.

"Oh man, you haven't changed a bit have you!" He replied "This town may be a little worse for wear but you look exactly the same!"

"I said get out of my house, and get out of my town!" Cecil snapped louder this time.

"Hey, hey isn't it a little rude to kick out your guest like this? Or is that just a Night Vale custom?"

Cecil's hands trembled "Where is Carlos?"

The being's eye lit up "You mean the scientist? Boy does he have amazing hair!" He chuckled, floating circles around Cecil, "You sure know how to pick 'em!" He stopped, face to face with the radio host. "Oh, don't worry, lover boy's fine- have a little faith in me! I mean c'mon, Ceec."

"Don't call me that." Cecil breathed, his hands still quivering. "And I don't believe you- what did you do to Carlos!?" He demanded.

The entity rolled his eye "Sheesh, okay, okay- Look-" He snapped his fingers and the haze that hung around them lifted, he saw Carlos standing at the stove, arguing with-or rather at the little fire goblin again. He snapped his fingers again and the fog rolled in again, veiling Carlos.

"I told you he was fine- Happy now?" The triangular being questioned mockingly

Cecil exhaled unevenly,

"What are you doing here- what do you want?" Cecil's hands balled into fists at his side, his knuckles clenching.

"Hey- can't a guy just stop by to say hello?"

Cecil stayed quiet.

The being let the pan of eggs disappear in a puff of smoke, a cane replacing the space in his hand.

"I came to check up on some things, I wanted to see how everything was going." He explained vaguely "Mostly, I wanted to watch."

Cecil's brows furrowed as he opened his mouth to speak "I thought you were done here, I thought I-"

"-Thinking and doing are two different things Ceec,"

"Shut up," Cecil muttered.

The triangle laughed "I've left this town alone for a long time, I've been gone for a looong time, but hey- now I'm back and I'm curious." He shrugged, and continued "Don't worry, I'm not here to deal any damage, I'm just looking over some cool humans I found back in this hick town up north- you'd like it- full of chumps who look the other way!"

"Stop talking!" Cecil barked, his whole body shivered at this point.

The laughing only grew louder "Well, I gotta go, I gotta go check up on those stupid kids!"

Cecil jumped backward, out of the way of the puff of purple smoke, his eyes were watering.

"Bill you stay away from this town!" he shouted "Bill!"

When the smoke cleared he found himself in the kitchen, hands shaking, and firm hands shaking his shoulders. When Cecil's eyes came into focus Carlos' own eyes were wide and his brows were upturned with anxiety, his perfect mouth settled into a frown, Cecil's name on his lips.

"Cecil! Are you okay, what did you see? You're not hurt?" He fussed, looking Cecil over for bruises or blood.

"I'm alright Carlos, I'm alright." He whispered, gripping Carlos' arm to stay balanced.

"You looked like you were in pain," Carlos went on "I thought you were-" He shook his head.

"What did you see Ceec?" He asked quietly, cupping Cecil's face in his hands.

Cecil swallowed a lump in his throat and looked into Carlos' eyes.

"You'd think that this town would have a pawn shop or something," Grunkle Stan remarked from the front seat as they passed Jackie Fierro's pawn shop, the front windows were tinted and looked too sleek to be a pawn shop, which is why the Pines passed it by unknowingly.

"Or a garage sale." Stan continued "-or something"

Mabel bobbed her head to an imaginary beat, looking out the window at the passing town when something caught her eye and she gasped.

"Oh my Gosh Grunkle Stan look over there!" she cried, jabbing her forefinger towards a cluster of tables and tents in an otherwise empty parking lot.

"Ah! What? What?" Stan jumped in the front seat, looking over in the direction of Mabel's pointing

"A community swap meet?" Dipper observed

"Do you think we'll find any weirdo attractions in there Grunkle Stan?" Mabel asked her Grunkle.

Stan shrugged "It looks like we're going to a swap meet." He turned into the lot, "I thought I'd never go to another swap meet- especially since that last one." He muttered uncharacteristically wistful, cringing.

Dipper looked to his sister with raised brows

They parked and got out of the car, Stan stretched, his back making a painful cracking sound.

"Ah, boy, let's see what we got here." He blurted.

They stopped at the first table, filled with folded up sheets.

Dipper's eyes were caught on the deep purple color of the tents, each one covered in different runes.

"Alright whadda we got? Some kind of sheets?" Stan inquired

The man- or woman- or person behind the table looked up from underneath a large sunhat, despite being underneath a tent.

"Oh yes," They began somewhat pleasantly. "I've had these guest sheets for some time, but since I've moved into my new apartment the landlord doesn't allow ghosts, so I've had to get new exorcised sheets" They shook their head "-which is ridiculous, this isn't the sixties, Ghosts have a right to live in an apartment with humans."

This caught Dipper's attention "-Wait, you mean these sheets are haunted?" He asked excitedly "with real live ghosts- oh well not really live," he spluttered, but then hastily stopped himself "Wait," he began again flatly "These _sheets_ are haunted?" skepticism was clear in his voice.

"Yeah, how do we know that these sheets are really haunted?" Mabel chimed in, her face comically scrunched up.

"Kids, I'm not looking for real haunted sheets." Stan interrupted "Let's go look around."

They looked back at the person behind the sunhat who was now busy balancing matches on the table, paying them no mind.

They wove their way through the meet. Mabel came across a table with jars of glittery goop, rocks, mysterious feathers and smooth blue metal, she tugged on Dippers arm to fawn over their strange charm.

"Wow, dipper look at this!" she cried, shoving a jar of goo in his face, Dipper cringed and pushed the jar away.

"What is this stuff?" Dipper queried

"Don't tell me you kids don't know how to build bloodstone circles- shouldn't they be teaching you this in school?" The old woman behind the table croaked.

"Kids look over here!" Grunkle Stan called from a tent two tables down

The twins curiously follow the sound of their Grunkle's voice, they found him standing in front of a pearlescent stuffed bear.

"Woah," they murmured in unison, staring up at the glittering claws of the beast.

"Ha! Look at that! It's perfect right?" Stan laughed "Those teens'll love this!" he put his hands on his hips in triumph. "It's like uh, an abominable snowman-it's cool right?"

"Um, I dunno Grunkle Stan." Dipper opined "It seems…"

"Amazing! Look how glittery!" Mabel cried, "Dipper take a picture of me with Mr. Fiddles!" she posed in front of the bear with a goofy smile.

"You already named it?" Dipper gave a small smile.

"Of course! He's so pretty!" Mabel chirped.

"Hey- uh, who's running this gig?" Stan called out, looking around the tent "I wanna take this bear- I mean I wanna buy this bear!"

"That's me," A voice answered, a man appearing behind the bear

The trio yelped in surprise.

"This is mine, or well it was mine for a while- and it is right now." The man began, stepping away from the bear. "It was a birthday gift from a work acquaintance," he shrugged "I feel bad giving it away but I don't need it, also I don't want it but, I'm not a little kid who likes stuffed animals anymore." He sighed, wrapping a scarf around his neck, despite the heat being a tad overwhelming "I don't remember ever being a kid in fact," He wrapped another scarf around his neck, covering the bottom half of his face. "I don't remember anything most of the time. Is anything real? Is any of this real?" he continued in a muffled voice, telling rather than asking them.

All three of the Pines were silent, a look of concern in their eyes, finally Stan spoke up "Oh, aha, yeah. Ya know what, you seem really attached to the bear- why don't you keep it?" He chuckled uneasily, the twins followed suit.

Yet again Stan produced a smoke bomb from his coat and threw it on the ground.

"Run kids!" he shouted in the fog, and they ditched the tent.

"Yeah, ya know what forget the bear, it was stupid anyway- not nearly cool enough for the shack." Stan coughed.

"Well c'mon how about another booth?" Mabel appealed, looking over at Dipper who looked at her flatly. "C'mon just one more?" She smiled

Dipper sighed as Mabel dragged him along to another booth.

"Oh!" She cried "Look at this!" she held a spool of dazzling thread that seemed to change color.

"That thread can sew anything." The young woman behind the table muttered with little interest, as she typed on her phone, typing and typing without typing any words at all.

"Literally anything," she continued "Metal, Earth, Space, and Time (Whatever it is really)"

"Its soo pretty!" Mabel laughed "How much is it?"

"Mabel-"

"How much do you think?" The young woman answered uninterestedly.

"Uh, will you take this?" Mabel pulled out a home-made Popsicle picture frame from a pocket in her sweater, it was doused in glitter and rhinestones. A one of a kind Mabel original.

The young woman looked up briefly and gave a sharp nod. "Yeah," she shrugged "That'll work." She reached for Mabel's picture frame and gingerly propped it up on the table in front of her.

"Ah! Thank you!" Mabel grinned, waving the spool as she and Dipper walked away.

"Okay," Dipper blurted "what was all that about? Do you really believe that thread can sew anything- well obviously not space and time!" He chuckled "I mean right?" he shook his head "Man this place is just…weird!"

"It's perfect, I don't know what had you so worried- everyone seems nice." Mabel butted in as they passed the tent with the glittering bear "-Well almost everyone…" she added as they walked faster passed the tent.

"Yeah?" Dipper looked up at the sky, he thought about that mysterious radio host- what was his name? Did he give him his name? Everything about him was enigmatic- from his looks to his tone of voice. Maybe he could give some insight into this town? Maybe even the author of the journal? His hand flew to the hidden pocket in his vest where he kept it. Who was this inscrutable host? He wondered.

"Well, looks like this place was a dud, how 'bout we go back to the motel and watch pirated cable?" Stan suggested.

Mabel and Dipper nodded, the trio got back into the car, Mabel practically bouncing in her seat, ecstatic over her swap meet treasure.

"Let's put on some tunes Grunkle Stan!" Mabel exclaimed

Stan turned on the radio and a silky smooth voice filled the car.

"Lakes are a myth, oceans are fairytale, but rivers are real and should be avoided at all costs- Welcome, to Night Vale."


	6. Chapter 6

**Wowie, Hi guys, I missed you all so much- did you miss me? I know, I know it's been sooooo long since I uploaded a chapter buuut I've been settling into college and I've been wanting to plan out the story a little bit more. But I hope you all like this chapter cause whew boy it's been a long time coming. Anyway, I'm sure you all know by now that Welcome to Night Vale belong to Joseph Fink and Jeffery Cranor while Gravity falls belongs to Alex Hirsch respectively.**

The Pines trio listens to the mysterious Radio show all the way back to the motel, Dipper trying to remember the face that matched the silky voice.

That silken voiced Radio host- really made Dipper uneasy,

In the motel, Mabel sits on the scratchy comforter. She's sat in front of the TV as an old black and white romance movie plays, and now she's using her swap-meet thread to mend a snag on one of her sweaters. She watched with awe as the snag seemed to almost disappear before her eyes. She grinned, looking up to show her brother who was pouring over the pages of the journal while Grunkle Stan was in the bathroom.

"Dipper look! How cool is this?" she tossed the sweater at her brother. Who wasn't ready for a bundle of glittery fuzz being thrown at his face. He yelped in surprise, his hands flying to his face. He pulled it away to look at it, he raised his eyebrows in question

"Your pumpkin sweater?" He asked

Mabel scoffed and shook her head "No, dummy- I had a huge snag in the pits, but I fixed it with this string I got at the swap-meet!" She jumped over to his bed "Look it's completely gone now!" She exclaimed, holding up the arms of the sweater to show off the newly fixed fabric "-too bad, now you have to smell 'em the hard way" She wrapped her arms around Dipper's head, laughing obnoxiously while she shoved his face in her pits. Dipper gagged and shoved his sister away "Mabel! Gross!" he scoffed. He reached for the newly fixed sweater that lay crumpled on the bed next to him, and examined the fabric, not being able to discern where it had been mended, "That string did this?" he inquired, turning his head to look over at said string on the nightstand, it glittered under the light of the lamp, changing colors in the light.

"Uh yeah- that's what I said!" Mabel said, snatching the sweater and tying it around her waist.

"Didn't that girl tell us this string could fix anything? Like- anything?" Dipper asked, picking up the spool and turning it over in his hands. Mabel nodded. "let's test it out on something else." Dipper proposed, sliding off the bed to crawl underneath it, and Mabel followed in curiosity. The twins huddled under the mattress.

"So what are we doing?" Mabel nudged her brother.

"Mabel- look." Dipper pointed at the hole in the wallpaper. The carving still faintly glowing against the wall.

Mabel gasped "Dipper!" and Dipper nodded.

"Why did you carve this into the wall? This is vandalism! You rapscallion!" she shoved her brother gently.

Dipper shoved her back, "I didn't do this!" he whispered

Mabel's gaze flickered between her brother and the wall. "Do you think it was the author of the journal?"

Dipper's eyebrows furrowed "I don't know.", he scooted closer to the wall to thread the string through the wallpaper, he watched as the paper mended itself and closed over the carving in the wall, the glittering string disappearing into thin air. Dipper's eyes widened "It really does work…" He reached out to peel away the wallpaper from the wall again to find that the carved warning was still there, he sighed.

"What'd you do that for?" Mabel whispered

"I wanted to test it, the first time I saw this I reached out to touch the carving and I was…Transported? I don't know, It- It was to a radio station, the one here in town- at least I think so. The radio host who was on the radio earlier grilled me about why we were visiting town with Stan." Dipper wracked his brain, but for the life of him he couldn't remember the face of the man in the studio where was teleported, he shrugged "Or I dunno, but something about them was- off."

"Really? You teleported?" Mabel reached her hand towards the wall and Dipper's own hand quickly shot out to stop her.

"Look Mabel, we don't know if this is safe," Dipper started

"Dipper, if you really think this has to do with the author of the journal then we have to check it out- what if that radio host guy knows something about him- what if he is the author?" Mabel pressed on "C'mon- mystery twins?"

Dipper hesitated for a moment, but slowly grinned, he held his sister's hand.

"Mystery twins."

Mabel reached her hand further to touch the bare wood underneath the torn wallpaper.

Cecil Gershwin Palmer loves many things, Carlos- obviously, bowling, cats, dogs, coffee, His niece Janice, his sister- and her husband Steve (not that he'd say that to his face) - but especially, Cecil loves Night Vale.

Cecil is very protective of the ones he loves.

He looks out the window of his studio, his eyes wander over the desert horizon. He swallows a lump in his throat when he feels his pulse quicken. He closes the blinds and turns towards the window into the booth, he grips the curtain that hangs above the window and draws them shut. His intern Roland had gone to get him a latte which should keep him busy while the evening weather droned on the airwaves.

He hurries over to his desk, he pulls open a top drawer and pushes up the fake bottom.

A clatter in the room startles him, the false bottom falls shut as Cecil slams the drawer and turns towards the noise.

There on the ground he finds two children, a boy – Dipper- and a girl which he assumed was his sister.

"Ow- Dipper get your butt off of me!"

"Hey! Get your knee out of my back first!"

Cecil's eyebrows shot up "-You too? What are you doing here?" He blurted- although seemingly talking to himself.

Dipper's sister pushed him off and onto the floor face-first, here goofy laugh cutting some of the tension.

Dipper moaned in pain.

"Woah- Your voice is so deep in person! That's so cool!" His sister exclaimed, jumping up from the floor.

Dipper pushed up onto his elbows "Mabel!" he scolded

"What? It is!" Mabel defended.

Dipper finally got onto his feet "Look, I'm sorry Sir- ah, um – actually I don't think I got your name Mr.…?"

Cecil's eyes flickered to the desk drawer and back to the children, he leaned his back against the desk, blocking the drawer from their view.

"Cecil, my name is Cecil Gershwin Palmer." Cecil's fingers hovered over the knob on the drawer

"I'm Mabel!" Dipper's sister grinned, holding out her hand towards him, and Cecil flinched away slightly, a little involuntarily.

"Yes, but what are you _doing_ here- in my studio, I didn't-" Cecil Began only to be interrupted by Dipper's crackling voice.

"Actually Mr. Palmer, we wanted to ask you about this" He opened his vest and pulled out a ragged looking book, he turned it over in his hands to show the cover which was emblazoned with a golden hand and a number three.

Cecil's eyes widened and his stomach plummeted when he saw the journal.

"Where did you get that?" Cecil asked

"No way- you are the author aren't you!" Mabel exclaimed, jumping up and sitting in Cecil's spinning desk chair beside him. "I thought that the author would be some science geek or something!"

"There's nothing geeky about science- I love science." Cecil defended "I'm practically a scientist-er well my boyfriend Carlos is- but, that journal- I had nothing to do with that journal!" he pointed an accusing finger at said journal.

"Whaaaat? Really?" Mabel sounded disappointed, and a little disbelieving.

Dipper shook his head, "No, Mabel, look- he doesn't have six fingers,"

"-You're right I have ten." Cecil interrupted seriously. "-well technically eight and two thumbs," he glanced over at Mabel "-That's science you know,"

"Wait! Are thumbs not fingers?" Mabel looked at her hands

"Mabel!"

"Look, you kids really shouldn't be here while I'm broadcasting, the weather is almost over and I can't have you kids in here during the show." Cecil started.

"-The weather? All you're playing is music?" Dipper's eyebrows scrunched together

He and Cecil stared at each other for a moment

"-Anyway, I don't have anything to do with that journal!" Cecil reaffirmed adamantly. "And I'll ask you to please leave my studio."

"But, do you know who the author is? O-or anything about the journal really- please!" Dipper insisted.

Cecil swallowed, his eyes flickered over his shoulder to the drawer before slowly crawling back to Dipper and Mabel.

"I don't know who the man who wrote that journal is, but I do know that he had help, and he was helped by an old and powerful being. That this being- this thing, can wipe him clean out of existence, out of the memories of those who knew him." He reached for his headphones, "I don't remember who he was- and it's better that I've forgotten him- and you children should forget about finding him." Cecil pressed a button on the switchboard on the desk.

"Welcome back listeners,"

The twins found themselves back under the motel bed. Mabel rolled out from under the bed frame, Dipper crawled out soon after, Dipper looked at the book in his hands, his eyes scanned its rough surface and his mouth pulled into a frown.

Mabel put a hand on his shoulder when they heard Stan open the bathroom door. Dipper hid the journal underneath the comforter.

"Augh," He stretched, "Wow, my legs are numb now- good thing everything came out alright in the end. What year is it? Right kids" Stan laughed to himself, expecting an "ew, gross" or a "c'mon Grunkle Stan" but found the two looking quite solemn

"ah…what's wrong with you two?" Stan raised an eyebrow.

Mabel's eyes shot to Stan and quickly smiled, "Dipper just cracked a huge fart!" She chuckled "I was trying not to breathe any fumes!"

Stan laughed "Way to crop dust your sister Dipper!"

Dipper's jaw dropped open "What? I did not!" Stan only laughed "Ha- sure, look kid you don't have to be ashamed- be loud and proud!"

Mabel elbowed her brother "-It almost suffocated me!" she joked

"All jesting at Dipper's expense aside, I'm hungry- you kids wanna order a pizza? I don't feel like facing circus freaks out there for a burger."

"Sure," The twins shrugged as Stan picked up the room's landline to order

Dipper turned his back to his Grunkle to uncover the journal. Mabel turned to her brother.

"Dipper, you heard what Cecil said- Whatever helped the author of the journal is super powerful, like popstar illuminati powerful- and it could erase you from my memories," Mabel nudged her brother. "Maybe we shouldn't be looking for him anymore."

"Mabel, I need to know the truth." Dipper insisted.

Cecil took off his headphones and turned off the switchboard. He waved to Roland in the booth who turned to leave.

When he was sure that Roland was gone he opened the desk drawer, opened the false bottom and reaches for a pamphlet, worn around the edges and clearly rarely used.

He flipped it open and pried apart two sticky pages covered in a thick, dark substance. Cecil grimaced.

He glanced down at the Russian written on the page, the harsh characters sketched rashly onto the page. He quickly shoved the pamphlet into his fanny pack and pulled his baggy argyle sweater over his head. He clocked out of work and kept his head down as he walked to his car.

He sat behind the wheel, his heartbeat elevated, his breathing uneven. He felt like he was having a panic attack. He reached for his phone to call Carlos,

"Hi Pooh, how are you? Are you on your way home? I'm at ralphs right now, is there anything you need me to pick up?" Carlos answered after a few rings, starting off rambling a little bit. His voice brought a smile to his face, his breath evening out.

"Oh, no, I'm fine sweetheart." He smiled "I just wanted to call and tell you I have to run some errands before I head home." He glanced at the fanny pack and his hands went to the steering wheel, his thumbs rubbing circles into the feux leather.

"Oh!" Carlos responded "Oh okay, well then I'm making a casserole for dinner! So make sure you're home soon- oh, and I know you wanted to watch catfished so I set it to record."

Cecil turned on the car, "Of course, I'll be home soon Sweetheart, I love you."

He could practically hear Carlos' smile over the phone "I love you too Cecil." The phone clicked and Cecil drove out of the Radio Station parking lot.

He rode in silence, his hands shaking but his eyes were determined. He was going to keep Night Vale safe, he was going to protect everyone he loved.

Again.


End file.
